Dave Van Horn shares assessment of where Arkansas is entering final stretch of regular season

For just the second time this season, Arkansas dropped a series against an SEC opponent. Kentucky hosted the Razorbacks over the weekend and emerged with wins on Saturday and Sunday. Not what head coach Dave Van Horn wants, especially this late in the regular season.

Even so, Van Horn feels good about where Arkansas currently sits. Neither the bats nor arms have been as consistent as he hoped for down the stretch. But they’ve come back in waves at times in his eyes, something he chalks up to the sport of baseball.

“We feel good where we’re at,” Van Horn said. “As a coach, you want to continue to see your team get better. I’ve seen us been up and down a little bit. I’ve seen the hitting fade a little bit, I’ve seen the pitching fade a little bit. Then, all of a sudden, it kicks back in. It’s baseball, that’s the way it is.”

Arkansas is undoubtedly one of the best teams in college baseball. The talent is there, currently having a 40-9 overall record and going 17-7 in the SEC, the country’s toughest conference.

Van Horn knows any kind of struggles from the Kentucky series will smooth out. Getting into the postseason healthy is as important as anything if the Razorbacks want to make a run toward Omaha.

“I just want to make sure, at the end of the season, we’re healthy, and we have a chance to get to the playoffs,” Van Horn said.

Good news for Van Horn — Arkansas is more than secure in the Field of 64. In the latest NCAA Tournament projections from On3’s Jonathan Wagner, the Razorbacks are the No. 4 overall seed and would get to host a Super Regional if they were to advance. The series loss against Kentucky did not change much.

“Despite losing their series over the weekend against Kentucky, Arkansas remains the No. 4 overall seed in this week’s Field of 64,” Wagner said. “The Razorbacks are still 40-9 overall, 17-7 in the SEC and No. 3 in RPI with remaining weekends vs. Mississippi State and at Texas A&M. It won’t be an easy finish, but Arkansas is still safe to host as a top-eight seed.”

As mentioned, a tough final two series are ahead of Arkansas. Mississippi State and Texas A&M are the other two teams with winning conference records inside the SEC West. Staying healthy while finding consistent play from his players is what Van Horn wants to see more than anything.